Biomedical subjects

C Helberg

Publications and source records attributed to C Helberg.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Can mentoring or skill training reduce recidivism? Observational study with propensity analysis.

We compared juvenile offenders' recidivism following nonrandom assignment to juvenile diversion (JD, n = 137), JD plus skill training (ST, n = 55), or JD plus mentoring (MEN, n = 45). Intake characteristics that distinguished intervention groups were used to calculate assignment propensity scores. After propensity score blocking balanced intake characteristics, ST proved more cost effective than MEN, achieving a 14% relative reduction in recidivism at a savings of $33,600 per hundred youths. In ST, 37% were rearrested 2 years or more after intake, compared to 51% in MEN and 46% in JD. In two of five propensity subclasses, time to first rearrest was longer in ST (M = 767 days) than in MEN (M = 638 days) or JD (M = 619 days). These results argue for an experimental comparison of ST and MEN and for observational studies with propensity analysis when randomization to juvenile justice interventions is infeasible.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

The delivery of preventive services in primary care practices according to chronic disease status.

OBJECTIVES: The current study examined the relationship between chronic disease status and the receipt of cancer preventive services over a 3-year period. METHODS: Adults (n = 4320) cared for by 167 nonacademic physicians in 42 primary care group practices were studied. Medical records were audited for each patient, as were patient responses to two questionnaires assessing health and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: While the odds of having received counseling to obtain regular checkups were increased for men (1.56) and women (1.46) with hypertension, the odds were reduced (range = 0.32 to 0.81) for having received a sigmoidoscopy (women with diabetes or hypertension, men with hypertension or heart disease), fecal occult blood test (men with diabetes or heart disease, women with heart disease), mammogram or counseling about smoking (women with diabetes), clinical breast exam (women with heart disease), and Pap test (women with diabetes or heart disease). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of common chronic health problems in older adults is associated with lower levels of cancer screening services.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

[Patients with transient ischemic attacks. Their cardiac status and its prognostic significance].

In 51 consecutive patients with acute transitory cerebral ischaemia cross-sectional echocardiograms, 24-hour electrocardiograms (ECG) and exercise ECGs were recorded. The subsequent observation period averaged 13 (3-30) months. The echocardiogram was abnormal in 27 of 46 patients (58%). A holosystolic mitral-valve prolapse was found in eight: cerebral ischaemia recurred in five. There was no correlation between arrhythmias in the 24-hour ECG and renewed cerebral ischaemia. In addition to the 14 patients who--according to history and resting ECG--had already had a myocardial infarction, the exercise ECG revealed probably coronary heart disease in a further 11, i.e. half of the patients had coronary heart disease. Renewed attacks of cerebral ischaemia occurred in 13 patients during the follow-up period; four patients died, all of them also having had coronary heart disease. Because of the high prevalence of coronary heart disease (often previously undiagnosed) in the whole group, routine exercise ECGs are recommended for patients with transitory ischaemic attacks, protracted ischaemic neurological deficit or "minimal stroke", while 24-hour ECG monitoring does not seem essential. Randomized trials are needed to determine whether patients with cerebral ischaemia and echocardiographic evidence of mitral-valve prolapse should be treated prophylactically.

Adult↗